Hair pressing comb



y 6; v1958 v 5. J. GAMBLE 2,833,294 v HAIR PRESSING COMB Filed Jan. 19, 1955 INVENTOR E 6. S] amble 9 23 J as J G W 4 mg WWWZAQ L956 ATTORVEYLS Unite States Patent 'ice HAIR PRESSING COMB Silas J. Gamble, Brunswick, Ga, assignor of one-eighth to Leo Moore, Brunswick, Ga.

Application January 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,759

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-136) This .invention relates to a hair pressing comb for use in the straightening of hair.

It is sometimes necessary in the dressing of hair to remove kinks and tight curles from it. This is accomplished by first straightening the hair with the aid of a comb, and then pressing the hair in the straightened condition.

The pressing comb of this invention speeds up the hair straightening process a great deal. It includes two relatively movable, solid metal comb members having interdigitated teeth which cooperate to press the hair located between adjacent teeth. The construction of the comb isv such that the metal comb members have considerable mass. They may be heated before use and they will retain the heat for a relatively long period of time.

The relatively movable comb members of the apparatus of this invention cooperate in a novel way. The upper portions of the comb members are arranged in side-by-side relation, and one of the comb members is provided with laterally projecting surfacesfor engaging the top and bottom surfacesof the upper portion of the other comb member. This arrangement ofparts prevents pivotal movement of one comb member with respect to-the other comb member under the stressesencountered in the straightening of hair. At the same time, the arrangement permits the parts to disassemble quickly and easily for cleaning purposes.

Another feature of this invention is that most of the moving parts of the mechanism for movingone of the comb members relative to the, .oth'er of the comb members aredisposed on the interior of the device. As a consequence, the action of these parts is not interfered with by accumulations of hair and other foreign materials; Also, the fact that these parts, whichare made of metal for strength purposes, are not located on the outside of'the device, is important from the standpoint of safety. When heated, the projecting'm'etal' parts of certain prior art pressing combs of the'general type with which the present invention is concerned, were rather dangerous, particularly to the person whose hair was being treated.

A better understanding of this invention and itsadvan tages will be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof, illustrated in the acocmp'any'ing drawings in which:

Fig 1 is a side elevational viewv of a pressing comb according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View along? the line 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view along the line 33 in Fig. 1;

'Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view line 44 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view along the line.5=-5 in Fig. l, and' :;Flg:: 6 is" a longitudinal cross-sectional :view,v similar to; th e right-hand.PQrtionviof ;Fig.- 2, showing; a media fication.

along the The illustrated pressing comb includes a stationary comb member 2 having an elongated body portion 4 and a plurality of teeth 6 depending therefrom. In the teeth carrying Zone, the body portion 4 is cut away to provide anelongated recess 10 in one of its faces.

Disposed within the recess 10, is a movable comb member 12 having a body portion 14 and depending teeth 16, interdigitated with the teeth 6 on the stationary comb member 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the movable comb member 12 is somewhat shorter than the length of the recess 10 in the stationary comb member. This difference in length permits the movable comb member to be moved longitudinally so as to vary the spacing between the teeth 6 and 16 on the respective comb members.

The structural relationship between the stationary and movable comb members 2 and 12 can best be understood perhaps by reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The body portions 4 and 14 of the two comb members include generally vertical side faces 17 and 18, respectively, and these side faces are disposed in contacting relationship. The body portion 4 of the stationary comb member has a stepped upper surface and a generally horizontal lowersurface. Cooperating with the upper and lower surfaces of the body portion 4 are lateral projections on the mov able comb member 12. The upper lateral projection is a flange 20, which may extend the full length of the movable comb member. This fiange 20 fits into and substantially fills the lower step of the stepped upper surface of the stationary comb member.

The surfaces of the movable comb member which bear against the stationary "comb member from below are the upper edges 22 of the teeth 16.

stationary comb located between adjacent ones of the stationary teeth 6.

Also contributing to the rigidity of the construction is a bearing relationship, shown in Fig. 4, which exists between the top edges 24 of the stationary teeth 6 and the faces of the body portion 14 of the movable comb lo cated between adjacent ones of the teeth 16.

Referring nOW to Fig. 2, it is pointed out that at its outer end, the movable comb member 12 is provided with a guide screw 26, which extends through a guide opening 28 in the body portion of the stationary comb member so as to prevent disassembly of the parts exceptwhen the screw is removed. A small cushion spring 30 is disposed between the head of the screw 26 and the adjacent surface of the stationary comb member to prevent the metal parts from banging together during:

operation.

Another arrangement for. connecting the front ends of the two comb members is shown in Fig. 6. guide screw 26a is threadedly connected to the stationary comb 2a and extends loosely into a guide hole 31 in enlarged recess 36 in a wooden handle 33, attachedxto therear end of the stationary comb member by means of a threaded rod 40 and a nut 42.

The recess 36 is considerably larger in cross-sectional dimensions than the hole 34. This allows a compression spring 44 to be located Within the recess 36 so as 'to encircle the pin 32. The forward end of the spring 44 bears through ring 45 against the rear face of the sta tionary comb member 2, and its-rear end bears against a nut 46 threaded onto the pin 32; By' adjusting-the position of the nut 46 on the pin32,the force exerted'i'by the spring 44-may beregulated-asxdesired; lnithisacone nection, it is pointed out that it is necessary to remove Patented-May 6,. 1958 7 These upper edges 22 slide along those surfaces of the body portion 4 of the Here the the wooden handle 38 in order to make an adjustment of this kind. This ensures that no accidental changes in way 48 in the stationary comb member 2. This passageway is of sufiicient depth to receive th'ereinthe end of an operating lever 50, the outer portion of which is suitably sheathed by'a cover 52 'of wood or other heat insulating material. A bolt 54 extends vertically through the stationary comb member so as to traverse the passageway 48. This bolt serves as a' pivotal mounting for the lever 50. The inner end of the lever 54 is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 3, to cooperate with a portion 56 of the pin 32. The portion 56 is of a re,- duced diameter so that the bifurcated end portion of the lever 50 is effectively confined between the shoulders which define the portion 56.

The operation of the pressing comb will now be described. First, of course, the metal parts ofthe pressing comb mustbe heated. This may be accomplished in any desired manner. The next step is to adjust the spacing of the teeth of the comb.

Normally, the coil spring 44 exerts sufficient force upon the pin 32 to draw the movable comb member 12 to its rearmost position with'respect to the stationary comb 2. This is the position illustrated in Fig. 2. When it is desired to change the spacing of the teeth 6 and 16, the operating lever 50 is moved toward the handle 38. This movement shifts the bifurcated inner end of the lever 50 forwardly, to move the movable comb member 12 against the action of the spring 44.

With the comb members in this positiomthe comb is inserted into the hair so as to position strands of hair between the teeth. As the comb is moved through the hair, undesirable kinks will be straightened out, Then, in order to set the hair in the straightened condition, the operating lever is released to allow thespring 44 to exert a force upon the movable comb member 12, tending to change the distance between the adjacent teeth 6 and 16. This pressure, together with the heat stored in the rather massive metal members, is effective to condition the hair in the desired manner.

Although certain embodiments of this invention have been described in detail, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that certain modifications may be made. Consequently, it is intended that the foregoing description should be considered as exemplary only, and that the scope ofthe invention should be determined from the following claims. a i

I claim:

1. A hair pressing comb comprising a stationary comb member having a solid metal body portion and a plurality of metalteeth depending therefrom, said body portion including a horizontal upper face, a generally vertical side face and a plurality of horizontal lower faces between adjacent teeth; a movable comb member having a solid metal bodyportion and a plurality of metal teeth depending therefrom, said body portion of said movable comb member including a generally vertical side face and a flange projecting laterally beyond said side face near the top of said portion, the lower face of said flange being horizontal, saidteeth of said movable comb member including horizontal upper edges projecting laterally beyond said side face in the same direction as said flange; a pin at each end of said movable comb member extending parallel to said side face of said movable comb member at a level intermediate said flange and said teeth for movably connectingsaid comb members together with the teeth of said movable comb member being interposed between the teethof said stationary comb member, with the side faces. of said body portions being in faceto-faee contact, with the lower face of said flange being upper edges of said teeth on said movable comb member bearing against said lower faces of said body portion of said stationary comb member; and means for sliding the body portion of said movable comb member along the body portion of said stationary comb member to change the spacing between said teeth.

2. A hair pressing comb comprising a stationary metal comb member having an elongated body portion and a plurality of teeth depending therefrom, a movable metal combmember having a body portion mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the front end portion of said stationary comb member and a plurality of teeth depending therefrom interposed between the teeth on said stationary comb member, a handle of heat insulating material detachably connected to the rear end of said stationary comb, said stationary member having a longitudinal hole through the-rear end portion thereof and a lateral passageway between said hole and a side of. said stationary'comb member, said handle having a longitudinal opening therein in alignment with, but of a largercrosssection than, said hole, a headedpin detachably connected at its forward end to said movable comb member and extending rearwardly through said hole and into said opening, a compression spring in said opening surrounding said pin and being confined between said head and the rear end of said stationary comb member so as to bias said movable comb member rearwardly, the head on said pin being movable toward or away'from said movable comb member to adjust the bias of said spring, a lever having an end portion in said passageway detach ably connected to said pin, and means pivotally mounting said lever on said stationary comb member adjacent said passageway with the other end portion thereof extending rearwardly along said handle, whereby said movi said spring to'change the spacing of said teeth by moving said lever relative to said handle.

3. A hair pressing comb comprising a stationary metal comb having an elongated 'body portion and a plurality of teeth depending therefrom, a movable metal comb member having a body portion mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the front end portion of said stationary comb member and a plurality of teeth depending therefrom interposed between the teeth on said stationary comb member, a handle of heat-insulating material detachably connected to the rear end of said stationary comb, said stationary member having a'longitudinal hole through the rear end portion thereof and a lateral passageway between said hole and a side of said stationary comb member, said handle having a longitudinal opening therein inalignment with, but of a larger crosssection than, said hole, a pin attached at its forward end to said movable comb member and extending rearwardly through said hole and into said opening, a nut threadedly connected to the rear end of said pin, a compression spring in said opening surrounding said pin and being confined between said nut and the rear end of said stationary comb member so as to bias said movable comb member rearwardly, a cushion spring acting between said stationary and said movable comb members for cushioning the movements of said movable comb under the influence of said compression spring, means for adjusting the cushioning force of said cushion spring, a lever having an end portion in said passageway detachably connected to said pin, means pivotally mounting said lever on said stationary comb member adjacent said passageway with the other end portion thereof extending rearwardly along said handle, and heat-insulating material on said other end portion of said lever, whereby said movable comb member may be moved against the bias of said spring to change the spacing of said teeth by moving said lever relative to said handle.

{L A hair pressing comb comprising a stationary metal comb member having an elongated body portion and a plurality of teeth depending therefrom, a movable metal 5 comb member bearing against the top and the bottom of said body portion for longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto and having a plurality of depending teeth interposed between the teeth of said stationary comb member, .said stationary comb member having a longitudinal aperture through a front portion thereof, a headed guide screw extending loosely through said aperture into a threaded opening in said movable comb member, a cushion spring confined between the head of said guide screw and the stationary comb member, a handle of heat-insulation material detachably connected to the rear end of said stationary comb, said stationary member having a longitudinal hole through the rear end portion thereof and a lateral passageway between said hole and a side of said stationary comb member, said handle having a longitudinal opening therein in alignment with, but of a larger cross-section than, said hole, a pin attached at its forward end to said movable comb member and extending rearwardly through said hole and into said opening, a nut threadedly connected to the rear end of said pin, a compression spring in said opening surrounding said pin and being confined between said nut and the rear end of said stationary comb member so as to bias said movable comb member rearwardly, a lever having an end portion in said passageway detachably connected to said pin, and means pivotally mounting said lever on said stationary comb member adjacent said passageway with the other end portion thereof extending rearwardly along said handle, whereby said movable comb member may be moved against the bias of said spring to change the spacing of said teeth by moving said lever relative to said handle.

1 ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,942 Taylor Sept. 12, 1912 1,233,956 Anderson July 17, 1917 1,606,734 Lewis Nov. 9, 1936 2,479,631 Liebert Aug. 23, 1949 2,533,067 Taren et a1 Dec. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 222,200 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1924 

